Can feeding means



.I une 19, 1945. A. 1 KRONQUEST GAN FEEDING MEANS Filed June 24, 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet l nventor #Lzwagesi l @ttm-neus ...Alli

.lun 19, 1945. I A KRONQUEST 2,378,855

GAN wFEEDING MEANS Filed June'24, `1944 sheets-sheet 2 will,

`Iunefl9, 1945. A. 1 kRoNQUx-:ST

CAN FEEDING MEANS s sheeis-sheet s Filed June 24, 1944 lil JLQ FIJ Jlllll. M w'lf- Patented June 19,"19'45 i onNFEEDINGflvmnNs i `Alfred L. KronduestySyracuse,N. Y., assigner to ContinentalC'an Gb.Inc., New YorkgN; Y., a corporation oiNew'fYork i Applicationnuneaa 1944;*seria1Nof. 542,020

15 claims. (c1. 1918-20) The invention* relates. generally to'. vvzorlr,V feed'- ersand primarilyseeks toiprovide anovelmeans; for feeding carrbodies-.intof and from thepockets in. turret structures embodied' in. cana body pack.-

Iingf, closingonlike machines. n t

* Ani object of." the invention is to' provide 'a novel canl'feeding means including-` an element oper able toA feedi a caninto a pocketwat one side. of* the turret and-another elementA simultaneously effective to4 discharge a can from a pocket imthe turret diametricallyi oppositely Y disposed l with: re-` Y lation-to thefirstmentionedpocket.

Another object of thel invention is to provide a 4novel' can? feeding means ofthecliairacter statedA in which each-said can infeeding and discharge ingelement a finir-motion-V feed-A travel' in aocornplishing its can feeding or dischargingfunction." i t Anotherobject of theA invention is to provide- 'a novel canfeeding means i of thecharacter' statedy inwhich thefour-motion feed"` movement` of the element WhichfeedsA cans intothei turret pockets is in a horizontalplane-anda the four-motiorizfeed movement ofi-the'. can discharging vvelement iss inv thevertical plane. i

AnotherA object of? the invention is to provide a novel can feeding means of the character stated ifr- Which: the can ,discharging means.` includes: a

pair'of upper anrllower'gripperswhich are moved` into positionabove'and below lascanlin: a turret pocket at thedi'scharging station; `thenl` down--h warldly'into' gripping contact withf the upper and lowerf surfaces of" the'` can and' then awvayp from the turret pocket to pull the can out ofr'thesamel Another object of the inventionl is toprovide a1 novel canf `feeding` mechanism ofthe,- character stated'l in= which the spaced relationA of the upper and lower can grippingdevi'ces' canr befreadily adjusted soas v to adapt the' dischargingmeans for properlyk engaging can-s ofl different heights. Witlr the above-and other-objects in view that will hereinafter appear, the nature of!" thelinveni 4 tion will be more clearly-understoodbyreference to' the following detailedgdescription; the appended claims, and the' severall views lillustrated* in the accompanying drawings".

In the drawings:

y Figure, 1 ist. a diagrammatic pian view i11us` tratingaturret. and' the improved can. feeding means operatively,associatedtherewith.

baritoivvhich thecan` infeeding and. the can dist charging devices: are operatively connectedl shown in Figure 2i 'Figure 5 is an endf elevation showing the parts illustrated in FigureZ, parts being broken away andY insection.

Figure 6` is a fragmentary diagrammatic side elevation illustrating the path of' movementl followed by the gripper elements off the cam discharging means in moving toward` the turret pocket, into engagement vvith the can to be dis-- charged andin a; `rectilinear path forv withdrawing'thecanfromtheturretpocket.

In the example of embodiment ofthe invention herein' disclosed, the improved feedingl meansis shovvnin combination with a turret Bfhaving a plurality of peripherally` open, spaced pockets 6, andv which is indexed; station byfstation, to-present the pockets serially at various stat-ionsin the machine in which theV turretr is incorporated, such as a cover feed station',l a can feed' station l at which filled cans 8are` fedv .intof` the turret pockets, and a discharge stationv 9^ :disposed diametrically opposite the stationf T and from which the cans aredi'scharged;

The `improved feeding 'mechanism includes*` a continuously` and `longitudinallyy reciprocated thrustbar I BWhich is mounted in suitable frameV bearings" (not shown), andwhich is reciprocated by: a bell crank lever lil which is pivoted'interfr .mediate its ends in` a framebearing as at I2l and has; one arm I3 pivotl and slide block connectedas at' Hl.' to theybar, and its other arm link connected as at I6 to ai crankpin Iladjustaioly mounted on avdisk VI8 securedaon a shaft I9 which is ro,

tatable in a framebearing and has rotation imparted' thereto from 4any suitable movingpart ofi themachine (notsshown).`

An endless conveyor chain 2'0" equipped withsuitably'spaced feederlugs 2l'. servesA toufeed the cans 8 toward' the turretbut this chain termiv natesshort. of said turret andthe actual feedingV ofgthecans into the turretlpockets as they are serially presentedlat the station 'l' isA accomplished by a fourfmotion. feed dog 22., See Figure 1.

The fourmotion, feed, dog 22 is, mounted onk a slide 23,'which is. laterally reciprocable in guide i ways 214'.. provided therefdr in the head' 275 which is` Secured. as. at 26 on one end of the recipro- .cable bar l0. The slide, 23'. is laterally recipro- Eigure. 2 .is afragmentary side, elevation illusa" trating the; can .discharging means.`

Figurefa; isa fragmentary vertical` sectional view. illustrating thei vmeans for r`reciprocai'fingQtl1e 'itsY ends asl at 29' on the. head, 25.

cated by arocker arm, 2.1i which is fork connected at 28' to said slide andvis pivoted intermediate Ait its other end the. rocker arm 2T is equipped with aroller equidistantly i Figure 4 isa plan vievv` illustrating the parts s 3U which engages in a longitudinal groove 3| in a slide 32 which is laterally slidable in a stationary guide way 33. The slide 32 is equipped with a roller 34 which engages in the actuator groove 35 in a rotary cam 3B. The cam 35 is mounted on a shaft 31 which is spur gear coupled as at 38 with a shaft 39 on which the sprocket 4B supporting the terminal end of the feed'chain 2B is secured, said shaft 31 being sprocket driven as at 4| from a suitable moving'part of the machine (not shown).

At the other end of the reciprocating bar I is secured a head 42 having a longitudinal bar 43 adjustably secured thereon as at 44. The bar 33 is equipped with an upright extension piece 45 having a fixed pivot 46 at its lower end and a movement to the head 2s. while the head 25 is reciprocating .the slide 23 .i-s reciprocated laterally on said headV in the Vmanner hereinbeforey described, and the combination of movements of the head 25 and the slide 23 serves tocause the feed dog 22 to follow a four-motion path of mo-vement as indicated at 82 in Figure l, said 'feed dog moving in a-rectilinear path while moving the can into a turret pocket, then laterally and away fromk the turret, then alongv a rectilinear path of retraction, and then laterally and forwardly behind a can to thereafter again follow the rectilinear can feed travel.

slot 41 at its upper end. A pivot bearing 48 is mounted in the slot 41 and is vertically adjustable therein through the medium of a captive adjustor screw 49.

Alongitudinally disposed gripper member 50 isr4 pivoted intermediate its ends on the Xed pivot 46 .and includes Va Yforked gripper linger portion I which is extended .toward the turret in the manner clearly illustrated in Figures 2 and 6 of the drawings; l g f f.

Another gripper member 52 is pivoted at one end as at 53 `to the pivot bearing 48, andl this gripper member, also has a gripper nger portion 54extencled v.toward the turret. f

A roller 55 projects laterally from the gripper member 50 at thek end thereof remote from the turret, and the other gripper member 52 is equipped with a laterally projected roller 56 inter- `mediate its ends in the manner clearly illustrated in Figures-2 and fl. It will be apparent by reference to; these figures that the respective rollers 551and55 are disposed rat opposite sides of the vertical center or" vthe upright extension piece V,45

on. which the gripper members are pivotally' mounted. i, The roller 55 engages in a longitudinal v guide groove 51 in a lower bar 58, and the roller 56 engages in a similar guide groove 59 in an upper bar 6|);- The llower bar 58 is secured to a slide 6| which is vertically `slidable in guides 62, and the upper bart@ is secured to an upward extension 63 of the vslide-6|,4 said extension being vertically-adjustably secured on the slide-6| as at 64. Y

y The slide guides'62 are secured to afra'mevr 65having a longitudinal groove 66 in which the lateral projection 61 extending from .the head 42. is slide guided inl the manner'shown and which will be apparent'by reference to Figures 2 and 5. The frame 65 also provides bearings 68 in which a cam shaft 69 is rotatably mounted. The frame also is. equipped with cam supporting vways .10 and bearings for rotatably supporting a shaft 1|,

'Ihe shaft 1| is equipped. with a sprocketfflZ which v supports one endy of a feed chain V13 equipped with suitablyspaced feeder' lugslll and which passes over va sprocket vat 'its ,other end and over an 'intermediate orlguide 'member 1,6 placed in the manner clearly illustrated in Figure 2 for providing an upwardly, inclined chain portion 11 beneath the periphery of the .turret 5. The shafts 68 and 1| are caused to Vrotate in unison by sprocket and chain connections V18.

A grooved cam 80 isk mounted on the shaft 69, and a'roller 8| projecting from the slide 6| engages in the groove of the cam with the result that ytherotary motion of the camis transmitted in the form of vertical reciprocation to the slide 6| and the bars 58 and 6B securedv thereto.

, It will be apparent that as ,theV bar l0 is longi tudinally reciprocated it will impart reciprocatory @presented at the'A discharging station, means for right extension piece 45 starts its movement toward vthe turret pocket, and the upward movei ment of the bars `58A and 60 and the engagement of the grooves 51 and' 59` thereof with the gripper member rollers 55 and l56 will cause the gripper finger portion 54 to move upwardly and the i gripper nger'portion 5| to move downwardly in themanner illustrated in Figure 6. The cam will then cause therslide 6| to retain its positionuntil the gripper finger portions 54 and 5| are presented overand under a can 8 in the turret pocket presented at theldischarge station, whereupon thecam groove again lowers the slide 6|.` and the gripper iinger 4portions 54 -Iand 5| are moved downwardly and' upwardly so Aas to grip the can between them, after which they will move in a rectilinearpath to withdraw the can from the turret pocket over the upwardly inclined chain portion 11 soy as to position the can for being engaged by the next presented chain lug 14 and conveyed away-over the feed ways '10,. The fourfmotion path of travel of the respective nger portions 54 and 5| are indicatedat. 83 in Figure 6. 1 -f i shown for purposes of villustrtaion,"itV is vto be clearly understood that variousrchanges in thel details of construction andv arrangement of parts may be madewithout departing from the spirit andwscope of the invention as appended claims. q

`Iclaim: l kf j 1'. In apparatus of the character described, a rotaryV pocketed turret adapted-,to vbe moved sta'- tion,` bystationto present pockets serially atsi'a-T tions including a Acan receiving station-and a can discharging. station diametrically,,oppositely disposed with relation` to said receiving station,- and l meansfor simultaneously'vfeeding Caninto a pocket presented at the receiving station and for discharging a'can from a pocket presented at the discharging station, saidmeans including a. longitudinallyv reciprocated bar, a feed-inV dg 'mov- 2 able with the bar toward and froma pocket pre'- sented at the receiving station, gripper means movable with the bartoward and from a* pocket causing the'dog to move for moving inline' with the procket'while moving .i towardv ,saidI pocket, andurmevansv for causing'fl the Y gripper means to grip a-'can as the gripper means While-.one form of the... invention" has' been'v defined in Y the y asrzasss reaches the position of thepocket at-thel dis-e. clung-ingrstation;` and retain `said gripsas: it. isV

the gripped: 'can from said pocket'.

`2:.I1n apparatus. ot the characterl described, a.

discharging a cany fromy a pocket; presented at.

they discharging station., said; means;` including `a. longitudinally reciprocated' bar, a feed-in dog moved' away' from said pocket. soA as.` to` with-drawmovable with thebar toward and fom a pocket presented at theA receiving station, gripper means movable withlthe bar-toward and ironia pocket presented atthe discharging station, means co.- operating with said bariorwcausing the dog to partake ofl four-motion movement. including a rectilinearpath ofmovement. toward the pocket andy a second pathavvay from said pocket and approximately parallel the rst mentioned path, and means for causing the gripper means to,v grip a can; as the grippenmeans reaches the position of the'pocket at the discharging station and re` tain'said grip as itis moved away from said pocket.: so to withdraw the gripped can from said pocket.

A31., Apparatus as; defined in claim 2; in winch` the means cooperating with the bar comprises a head secured to thesbar, a slide supporting the feedin dogand slidable transversely with yrespect `t the bar and on said head, a rocker arm pivoted intermediate itsy endson said head and having one' end connected tosai'd, slide and its other end equipped with, a roller, a second transversely slidable slide having alongtudinal `groove therein in which the rollerengages, and rotary cam means for` reciprocating said l second slide.

4. In apparatusof the character described, a rotary pocketed turret adapted to be moved station by station to present pockets serially at stations' including a can receiving station and a can i ce discharging station diametrically oppositely disl posed with relation to said receiving station, a feed-in dog,v means for imparting four-motion feed movement in a horizontal plane to the feed dog for feeding cans into pockets serially presented at the receiving station, opposing gripper members at the discharging station, and means for imparting four-motion movement to said gripper members in a vertical plane to cause them to move into position above and below cans in pockets serially presented at the discharging station, then together to grip a can, then in a rectilinear path to withdraw the can from the pocket, then apart to release the can.

5. In apparatus of the character described, a

` rotary pocketed turret adapted to be moved station by station to present pockets'serially at stations including a can receiving station and a can discharging station diametrically oppositely disposed with relation to said receiving station, a feed-in dog, means for imparting four-motion feed movement ina horizontal plane tc the feed dog for feeding cans into pockets serially presented at the receiving stationy opposing gripper members at the discharging station, and means for imparting four-motion movement to said gripper members in a vertical plane to cause them to move into position above and below cans in pockets serially presented at the discharging station, then together to grip a can, then in a recet, lthen apart toly releasefthe can, and corni-evory means onto. which the cans arie placedgby said grippermembers tobemoved away.y g f 6;. In apparatus `of the character described., a,

rotary .pocketed turret adapted to ice-.moved sta.v

tion by station to present pockets serialilpatzsta= tions; including; a can receiving .stationand` a4 can discharging station diametrically oppositely` disposedA with relation to said. receiving statiemxa feed-inpdogg, means` for impartinggfour-motion feed: movement. av horizontal plane to the; iced. dog for feeding cans into, pockets serially nre:-s sentedl-atthe receiving station, opposinggripper members atthe. discharging station, and` means;

forV impartingfourmotion..movement to; said grippermembersin a vertical planeto causethem to. move into position above and, below cansin` pocket-s serially presented at the discharging sta.- tion.then together to. grip: a can, thenin a rectilinear path to withdrawathe can fromthelpochet.. then apart to` release the can,` and an endless chain onto,` which .the cans` are placedfbysaaid gripper members to, be moved away and disposed n. topresent a; horizontal feed-away flight onto;

which the cans are placed' and an upwardly inf clined portion leading to said horizontal flight and disposed beneath. the periphery ofthe turret;

7. Inapparatus of the `character' described a. rotary pocketed turret adapted to. be` moved station by station to,- present peripherally` oben nookets sc-:riallyV at stations; including a can dischargevv ingstation, and meansfor discharging cans.from pocketspresented at said dischargingfstation and including a, head.reciprocable towardA and from:

- the turret in timed relation to the movements ofi the` turret, opposing gripper `members `mcwable l relatively toward-and from: each other aver-` tical. plane and with the head toward and from;

saidl presented pocket, and', means for causing the gripper members to grip a can simultaneously at; top and bottom in said presented turret pocket as the kgripper members reach said presented pocket and retain said grip as the gripper members are moved away from said presented pocket so as to withdraw said can therefrom and then release said grip before the gripper means is again moved toward the turret.

8. In apparatus of the character described, a

rotary pocketed turret adapted to be moved station by station to present peripherally open pockets serially `at stations including a can discharg-` ing station, and means for discharging cans from pockets presented at said discharging station and including a pair of upper and lower opposing gripper members and means for imparting fourmotion movement in a vertical plane to each said gripper member` to cause the gripper members to move into position top and bottom at opposite extremities of a can in a pocket at the discharging station, then together tosimultaneously engage said can at the top and bottom, then in a path away from the pocket to withdraw the can n therefrom.

9. In apparatus of the character described', a rotary pocketed turret adapted to be moved station by station to present peripherally open pockets serially at stations including a can discharg ingstatiomand means for discharging cans from pockets presented at said discharging station and 4 including a pair of upper and lower opposing gripper members and means for imparting .fourmotion movement in a vertical plane to each said gripper member to causev the gripper members to move into position at opposite top and `tilinear path towithdrawithe can from the! poiriery charging station, and `means for discharging cans.

from pockets presented at said discharging station and including a pair of upper and lower opposing gripper members and means for imparting four-motion movement ina vertical plane to each said gripper member to cause the gripper members to move .into position at opposite top and bottom extremities of a can in a pocket at the discharging station, then together to simultaneously'engage said can at the top and bottom, then in a path away from the pocket to withdraw the can therefrom, and an endless chain onto which the cans are placed by said gripper members to be moved away and disposed to present a horizontal feed away flight onto which the cans are placed and an upwardly inclined portion leading to said horizontal iiight and disposed beneath the periphery. of the turret.

11. In apparatus-of the character described, a rotary pocketed turret adapted to be moved station by station to present peripherally open pockets serially at stations including a can discharging station,- and means'for discharging cans from pockets presented at said discharging station and including a head reciprocable toward and from the turret in timed relation to movements of the turret, an upper gripper member pivoted at one end on said head and having a gripper finger portion directed toward theturret and having a roller projecting laterally therefrom intermediate its ends, a lower gripper member pivotedV in-n termediateits ends on thehead and having .a-

gripper finger portion directed toward thefturret and an end portion extended in the opposite direction and equipped with a laterally projecting roller,A a slide having two longitudinal grooves therein directed in the direction of movement of the head and each receiving one said. roller, and means for reciprocating the slide to cause each gripper linger portion to follow a. four-motion path whereby they will first move into posi-- tion above and below a can in a pocket at the discharging station, then together to engage the can, then in a path away from the pocket to withdraw the can therefrom'.

.12. Apparatus as dened in claim 11 in which there is included means for varying the spaced rgroove including aslide lifting portion a slide lowering portion and two intermediate concentric dwell portions. y

15. An apparatus as defined in claim 11 in which there is included an endless chain onto which the cans are placed by said gripper members to be moved away and disposed to present a horizontal feed-away flight onto which the cans are placed and an upwardly inclined portion leading to said horizontal flight and disposed 40 beneath the periphery of the turret.

ALFRED L. KRONQUEST. 

